ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) – Abby is a turtle. Not just any turtle, but an ornate box turtle, which is considered endangered in the state of Illinois. That’s why Deja Johnston, a student at SIUE, was so excited when she found Abby’s 18 friends living on a small open space near the campus.
“So many people were skeptical, but we found them,” Deja said, waving her radiotelemetry equipment across the 40-acres of the Knoll Family Wildlife Sanctuary. It’s a private conservation area, not yet open to the public, as it was only acquired in 2023.
Anna had lead a reporter out into the field to try and find Abby, which is not an easy task. The turtles burrow in the sand, and have been tracked on every corner of the field…